Who Owns the Caspian Sea? Five Nations Share It

No Single Owner—A Unique Legal Regime

The Caspian Sea is bordered by five littoral states:

• Russia
• Kazakhstan
• Turkmenistan
• Iran
• Azerbaijan

Legal Status Evolution

• Pre-1991: USSR-Iran treaties treated it as a lake (condominium)
• Post-Soviet: New states claimed sectors; disputes over seabed resources (oil/gas) vs. surface (fisheries, navigation)
• 2018 Convention: Signed in Aktau—defines it as a special legal status (neither lake nor sea under UNCLOS). Surface = shared common use; seabed = bilateral sectoral division.

Current Reality

Each country controls its territorial waters (15 nm) and exclusive fishing zones (25 nm). Seabed pipelines and resource development require bilateral agreements. The Caspian's vast energy reserves (48B barrels oil, 292T cf gas) make resolution critical.